1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to fishing equipment. More particularly, it concerns outrigger clips for holding fishing lines in trolling position astern a fishing boat and automatically releasing the lines when a fish strikes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In sportsfishing operations, particularly offshore, one conventional procedure is to simultaneously troll a number of fishing lines astern the fishing boat from outriggers that are positioned outboard of the boat. Special devices are used in such operations to releasably hold the fishing line in trolling position until a fish strikes, at which time the clip is intended to allow the line to drop from the outrigger system and run directly from the fishing pole and reel to the fish. This invention provides unique improvements in the construction, functioning and efficiency of such devices, which are generically referred to herein as "outrigger clips".
In sportsfishing trolling, the fishing line conventionally passes from the fishing rod on the boat to the outrigger clip and thence astern the boat. While the clip is held on outrigger lines outboard of the boat, the fishing line must be capable of moving fore or aft through the clip to permit the distance between the bait and boat to be adjusted or to make other adjustments. Accordingly, outrigger clips can tend to fray, snag or sever the fishing line. Often, this does not occur or become apparent until a fish strikes the bait, much to the aggravation of the fishing party. Roller arrangements have been developed to mitigate these problems in the use of outrigger clips as shown, for example, by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,905,148 and 4,428,142.
A number of other demands are made on outrigger clips if they are to perform satisfactorily to the expectations of demanding sportsfishermen. For example, the clips must assume and maintain a good fairlead position on the outrigger lines throughout the trolling operation, even in rough sea conditions, i.e., they should not tend to twist so as to bind or snag the fishing line. Also, they should hold the line with a reliable, controlled amount of tension and automatically release the line as soon as that tension is exceeded. Further, since balance on a tossing boat in rough seas can be difficult, truly satisfactory outrigger clips should be capable of one-hand opening and closing for setting the fishing line between catches or the like. Finally, all of these features need to be embodied in a rugged, lightweight and corrosion resistant device.
Substantial prior work has been done, in addition to developing the roller arrangements mentioned above, for the purpose of providing improved outrigger clips as shown by the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 25,650; 2,925,682; 3,081,575; 2,749,648; 2,958,973; 3,919,801.
The present invention provides still further improvements in construction and operation of outrigger clips to fulfill expectations of sportsfishermen for such fishing hardware.